Reply #1: This is the most important issue in American politics today [View All]

Before the run-up to the war in Iraq, I was not aware of any polling ever done that asked Americans what facts they believed to be true. Opinion polling is one thing, but this group has done a great service in pointing out how misinformed people are. The ramifications for our democratic system are really scary.

Obviously the mainstream media has failed miserably in its responsiblity for promoting "the informed consent of the governed." Citizens can't be expected to be knowledgeable about all the arcane intricacies of public policy, but it is astonishing that so many are so misguided on basic facts.

We can blame Fox, but all major media outfits share some culpability. We desperately need need new actors to combat the widespread misperceptions that threaten democracy. What can we do?